Victoria Wood diaries opened up for TV documentary on Dinnerladies

Iain Lynn

Victoria Wood's diaries and notebooks have inspired a new TV documentary about the late comedy star.

TV channel Gold said the notebooks, backstage photos and studio records have never been seen before.

Penned while Wood wrote Dinnerladies, they will show how she put the show, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary, together.

The three-part series, Dinnerladies Diaries, will also feature interviews with the cast and friends of the show.

Executive producer Lindsay Jex said of the show: "We have unearthed some truly amazing unseen gems from the archive combined with first-hand insight from the cast and crew. This series will tell the definitive story of this award-winning sitcom."

Fellow executive producer Iain Coyle said "extraordinary material" had been "uncovered"... that "will give us a unique insight into how one our best-loved shows was conceived and produced".

Wood died at the age of 62 in April last year, following a battle with cancer.

Meanwhile, UKTV, the network behind Gold, also announced that TV host Rylan Clark-Neal will be hosting a new gameshow, The Wave, on its entertainment channel W, in which contestants have to swim out to pontoons at sea.

"Competitors must pack their swimmers as Rylan sends them off in pairs to battle it out on the Atlantic coast of Portugal in an effort to win the booty" in the show.

The TV host said: "It's sunny, it's sexy and it's funny. What more could you want! I can't wait to work with an amazing team, playing a really fun game and can't wait to meet our brave contestants who are going to be taking on The Wave."